If you ordered a "Waxahachie" at the Highland Park Soda Fountain in the 1920s, what would they bring you?

If you said a Coca-Cola and a Dr Pepper, you'd be right. "A Dr Pepper was called a 'Waco' because the drink originated in Waco," The News reported. "Because they bottled Coca-Cola in Dallas, they called a Coke a 'Dallas.'" An order for one of each was called a Waxahachie because it was halfway between the two cities.

Just before the lunch rush, sometime in the late 1940s, at the Highland Park Pharmacy, located on Knox Street in Dallas.

The Highland Park Pharmacy (or Soda Fountain, as it came to be known) may be scheduled to close on Sunday, Sept. 9, but it isn't for lack of business. This institution has held a special place in the hearts of Dallasites since it was founded in 1912. For many, stepping into the pharmacy is like stepping back in time — or out of time entirely.

Adding to the timeless feel were the dedicated staff members, many of whom spent the majority of their working lives making malts, toasting grilled cheese sandwiches and talking to customers.

One special person was Charlie Day, who worked at the pharmacy on Knox Street for 52 years, starting at the age of 16. He became part-owner in 1940 and remained in that role until this retirement in 1976. A 1976 John Anders column, written to mark his retirement, described Day as "a neighborhood bartender" whose favorite saying was "Everyday is a beautiful day."

Charlie Day, shown in either 1976 or 1977.

Customers frequently called ahead to see if Charlie was behind the counter. When he wasn't, many opted to stay home. Just before Day's retirement, in 1974, ownership of the pharmacy changed hands when Thell Bowlin purchased the pharmacy.

But as time wore on and owners changed, the pharmacy didn't. "First time I came in here was in 1924," George Cearley told The News in 1984. "It looked just like this in 1924. I can't tell it's changed."

That was Bowlin's intention. "This is such a traditional place, it makes you afraid to change anything," Bowlin told The News. "I'd like to rip the whole fountain out and put everything in new, but it scared me to think about it because they (customers) are so used to it."

"'We are lacking in every other respect," Bowlin said, specifically calling out the crowded shelves, cracked floor and aging building. "But we still serve quality food."

Dec. 9, 1991 - Highland Park Pharmacy

(Louis Deluca/DMN)

Many who love Highland Park Pharmacy (or Soda Fountain), might find themselves inclined to disagree with Bowlin. Not when it comes to the food — they rave about it. But "lacking in every other respect?" For many, its flaws weren't really flaws. They were signs of all the lives richly lived within that space.

All things must come to an end, and that includes this iteration of Highland Park Pharmacy. As that day nears, one might wonder what Day might have to say about it.

Maybe he would have said things could always be worse, and that it was still a beautiful day.

Correction: Aug. 28, 10 a.m. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the Highland Park Soda Fountain building is being "bulldozed." The building's facade is being preserved.